Under the Sapphire Moon
by Animus.Lupae
Summary: Demyx, a Lesser Shifter, is caught in a world where war wages between his kind and their rivals. Includes AkuRoku, Soriku, and some RenoRoku. Lupae
1. Late Morning

A/N: Well… It seems I've decided to create a new fan-fiction based off of my favorite video games, Kingdom Hearts. Doesn't matter which version, but I'll base it off the latest ones as of now, just because they are all so much more full of awesome in the last Kingdom Hearts. Ooh, who wants Days to come out sooner?

Ok, enough of my rambling… I do not own any of these characters, though I dream I do, though I may be adding some of my own in… Who knows, I'm not too sure myself, seeing as I've just begun. If you read this, I would appreciate a review of any form. I know I have many grammatical errors, I'll try to fix them sometime, but at least try and enjoy it despite you may not be able to understand what I mean in some cases. XD

* * *

Demyx could feel it. He could really feel it. The call of the wild, as it had been explained to him by Reno, a Lesser Shifter like Demyx himself. The blonde stood at the top of the cliff, arms outstretched on either side, eyes closed. It wasn't like he'd ever felt this before; in fact, he hadn't thought it was real. Had thought it was just an excuse to feel a certain way. But now he knew, and he would embrace it.

"Dem… Demmy…"

The blonde cracked an eye open, gazing up into the aquatic green color of his best friends eyes. The red-hair was put into its usual ponytail, tied at the base of Reno's neck, an exciting grin plastered across his lips. As Demyx closed his eye again, he was aware of a sharp pain in his shoulder, and when he brought a hand up to the injured area and applied pressure, the pain obliterated, left as quickly as it had come. Phantom pain, as Vincent had once told him. It meant his other form needed healing.

"R-Reno." Demyx murmured, this time opening both eyes. Reno's hands were placed on his shoulders and the older man nodded once, his eyes taking on a more worried light. Demyx reminded himself Reno was quick to change emotions, even if he never seemed to take on a negative look at things.

"Yes Demyx?" The redhead asked, tilting his head ever so slightly, studying the blonde's face. Demyx wanted to go back to sleep, wanted too go back to that dream he'd been having recently, about the figure standing on the hillock, greeting the wind with open arms. But Reno wasn't about to let him slip away again, and the blonde was forced to accept his fate and groan. He put a hand over either of Reno's and shoved him away, sitting up, rubbing the back of his neck with a tired hand. His glance swept around his small room; he was amazed it had stayed clean in the past week. It consisted of his bed, resting against the furthest wall from the door, a small closet, and a bookshelf. The bookshelf was conveniently placed against the wall too the left of the door, and the closet too the right. The walls were a dark blue color, with purple designs that danced up and down, directing his vision in whichever way they had chosen to sprawl. His blue and gold sitar lay against the bookshelf, looking lonely and disused. It was true he hadn't used it in a while, hadn't felt the need.

"What time is it?" Demyx finally asked, rubbing his face with the same hand he'd previously been rubbing his neck with. One swipe, and then he was sitting with his legs over the side of the bed, hands folded neatly in his lap. He swept the room once more with his eyes before letting them land on the grinning Reno, blinking away the gumminess that kept his eyelashes together, made him want to just close them and not fight to keep them open, to just let go again and sleep.

Of course, he was interrupted and snapped back into focus at the redhead's overzealous voice. "It's 5:50 in the morning, you slept in today, so I was sent to wake you up." Demyx sent him a sardonic glare, and then proceeded to stand and stretch, one arm going up, one down. "Well gee, thanks." Demyx told him, honing a sarcastic tone, mimicking Reno's grin excitedly. "I mean, I wouldn't have wanted to miss our morning routine or anything…" Both of them rolled their eyes and turned, walking towards the open bedroom door leading to the hallway. As they approached, Demyx could see the boring brown color of the hallway, as well as the closed white doors that lined either side, and he sighed. Morning really had come, and he couldn't change that.

* * *

He followed Reno down the hall. None of the other doors were opened, but he guessed they were already eating breakfast or hanging around outside, waiting for the group to be done so they could start patrol. Demyx rolled his shoulder once, grunting, as he felt no pain, and then ran a hand through his messy, bed-head hair. He'd do something with it later. For now he'd have to leave it sticking out at odd angles and hope no one took too much notice.

"Hey guys!" That voice, which pretty much matched Reno's overzealous one, was walking towards them, and the perky little brown haired body that followed was also matching the redhead's expression: a grin. "Yo, Sora." Reno said to the younger boy, saluting him and slowing as the gap between the three of them closed. "How's it going?" Demyx stood beside Reno, smiling at Sora. Though Sora looked young, he was already a Full Shifter, one of the best. Demyx couldn't help but feel slightly exuberant every time he ran into one; they were usually doing important stuff and didn't need help with anything.

"It's pretty good." Sora replied, waving back before nodding once at Demyx. Demyx nodded back, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him. They had traversed nearly all of the hallway. What stood at the end was a door with glass windows, and a hint of a staircase on the left, just the railing running upwards at an odd angle. "Well that's good." Reno said, crossing his arms as well. "I guess, what I really meant was… What are you doing _here_? Looking for someone?" Demyx watched as Sora nodded. Both Reno and the brunette slowly backed up against either wall, Reno beside Demyx now. Demyx wanted to laugh, but he held it in. It was rather comical, all three of them leaning against walls casually, arms crossed. As though they were important people trying to _look_ casual. Sora had an excuse, but neither the blonde nor the redhead did.

"Company." Sora said blatantly, inclining his head towards the pair across from him. "It's my first time in a while that I get to spend alone, but I thought I'd rather spend it with friends. You busy?" Reno turned, tilted his head at his best friend, inquiring silently that he would like to spend time with the brunette. Demyx knew neither of them had obligations at the moment, even if that's where they were headed, and he nodded once, turning back to Sora. "Naw, we're not busy." Reno finally replied, standing up straight and clapping his hands in front of him, swinging his arms back to his sides after. "At least, not yet… Vincent may need us for something… But-" "So we should probably just go check in first…" Demyx interrupted, knowing how easily his friend would put things off. He was eager too do the same, but the last time they'd done that, Vincent had tracked them down like a hound and punished them for slacking. He wasn't a mean guy or anything, it was just everyone had duties that needed too be fulfilled, and no one was allowed to slack too much.

"Ahh." Sora said knowingly, his chin connecting with his chest gently a mere second after, gazing at the floor. "Don't want to get in trouble with Vincent I'm guessing…" "Well… Not really…" Demyx glanced up at Reno, who was jumping from one foot too the other, anticipating what was going to happen next. Sora looked up as well, raising an eyebrow at him before cracking into another grin. "Well, that was a rhetorical question Reno, but… It's probably best you go make sure you have nothing too do. I know what its like to get one of his punishments, I'd rather not have to do a full twenty-four hour patrol shift again thank you very much." Demyx stood up straight and uncrossed his arms, as did Sora, and then inhaled loudly. "Well…" The blonde stated, turning to first the redhead, then the brunette. "Then lets go. I still haven't had breakfast, I'm starving!" As he began finishing their walk down the hall, Sora followed after him, chuckling. "Dude, breakfast was like an hour ago, you better hope there's anything left for you!" "Oh there will be, everyone knows Demyx on an empty stomach equals bitchiness and over exuded hyperness." "Oh shut up Reno! It's the same for you!" "Yah, but when was the last time he swung a sitar at _your_ face Dem?"

* * *

After arriving in the kitchen, there had been nothing left of breakfast except empty and discarded dishes, which Demyx and Reno had disdain to touch. Sora leaned against a dish-cluttered counter, murmuring something about delinquents and responsibility while the blonde reached into the fridge, looking for something to sate his hunger and thirst.

"Dem, get me something while you're in there, kay?" Demyx nodded absent-mindedly to Reno, leaning down into the fridge. One hand on the top of the fridge door, holding it open so it wouldn't slam against him, and one hand by his face, tapping his lower lip, he searched for fruit and milk. He found both quite quickly, and closed the fridge door with a small bang, holding a milk jug and a carton of strawberries in either hand. He was facing the kitchen table now, his back too the fridge and the kitchen cupboards that were on either side of it, and he began walking forward, stopping at the island that stood like a barrier between him and the table just a few paces away from the fridge. It held a sink on the far left, and an open space on the right, which he promptly put his food down on and turned back around to search for some clean dishes in one of the many and overfilled cupboards lining the walls. It didn't take him long too find two bowls, and he looked over his shoulder, arms up stretched towards the dishes, eyes studying Sora. "You hungry?" "No, I already ate earlier." Came the response, and the blonde resumed pulling out the bowls and forks and piling them on the island beside the fruit and milk. It seemed Reno's curiosity got the best of him and he walked over to the island, leaning over it on the opposite side of the blonde, watching as Demyx pulled out a knife from a drawer in the island and began slicing the strawberries after washing them in the sink. It didn't take long for all of them too be cleaning sliced and placed evenly into the bowls, milk sloshing overtop them before turning the white liquid a murky pink a few seconds after. "Looks good." Reno commented as Demyx replaced the milk and leftover strawberries in the fridge, returning only too pick up a bowl and fork and begin eating. "It is good." Demyx echoed contentedly as he sat at the table, his back to the island, and glanced out the oversized window in front of him.

He could see a shape run past, a flash of faded yellow and pitch black, before another shape followed, dark green with flowy brown chasing after it. He concluded it was Yuffie and Tifa, at it again, probably playing tag or something dumb. He didn't not like them, he just found them overly annoying. Plus, they were blocking the view. From the window, you could see all the way down the shoreline and to the forest. This was almost like a beach house, except that it housed far more than just one family.

"So, Sora… How's it been going lately? Working hard?" Reno asked, breaking the silence, his chair squeaking against the ground as he dragged his body closer into the table. Sora finally stood and joined them at the table, sitting beside Demyx, Reno on his other side. "Yah, working hard, sure." Sora answered, a far-off tone too his voice. Demyx tilted his head to the side, careful not to drip milk from his lips, and furrowed his brows slightly at the boy. "But…" Sora said, interrupting his thoughts briskly. "I've haven't been working too hard… It's been, nice lately." "Busy?" Reno asked lightly, eating a strawberry slice, watching the milk drip off it slowly. "Busy? No, not lately… Just, nice." Demyx returned his head too completely overtop his bowl, licking his lower lip before the milk dripped off. "That doesn't sound right." He said jokingly, smirking a little. "What, no one's decided to just show up and start something?" Sora didn't even turn to him. He seemed to be looking out the large window as well. "Nope. It's been pretty quiet. Vincent's been doing his best to keep everyone who doesn't belong here at bay, and I've been doing my best to keep our territory safe. It seems Xigbar got into a fight with a Lesser Vampire the other day, and Vincent had to resolve that with their leader. It seems he had to pay, _homage."_ Reno and Demyx both turned to him curiously, one eyebrow raised, strawberries and milk forgotten. The way Sora had said "homage" just didn't sound, all that great. "Homage?" Demyx finally voiced, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Yah." Sora said, shaking his head. "Xigbar was stupid. He was also punished, and it seems he isn't keen on doing anything like this again anytime soon." Demyx was still stupefied. Why had Xigbar started a fight in the first place? What was there to fight over nowadays? Was he trying to get them into another many year war? The first one had been bad enough, not to mention Demyx had been much younger then, not as experienced… He'd never forget that one who'd let him be free, who hadn't gone all the way, who hadn't finished killing him. Not that he'd liked being left in that unconscious close-to-death state, but at least he was alive today to tell the tale.

"So, what, exactly, was this homage?" Reno asked, folding his hands around his bowl, semi-circling it. Sora still didn't look at him, just continued staring out the window, as though he was waiting for something too pop up. "Well… It wasn't something that happens often, but.. It seems, Vincent offered some of, well… Their leader…" "Just say Axel, it's not a bad word." Reno pointed out, blinking when Sora audibly grimaced. "I _know _it's not a bad word, it's just… Never mind. But, Vincent had to offer some of himself for Xigbar's mistake. You're just lucky he's strong enough." Demyx shook his head, poking at a strawberry with the end of his four pronged fork. "We aren't the lucky ones, Xigbar is… If Vincent had made him pay for his own mistake, I don't think he would've survived. Not after the state he was left in leaving that last fight…" Reno began eating again, staring out the window as well. "Vampires are stupid. It's not like we come after them thirsting for blood… Well, okay, only when I'm hungry, but still…" Sora turned to him, and suddenly his serious expression vanished, and he was left a chuckling and young looking boy again. "I wish I could be as carefree as you two, but you'll never hear me saying something like that.. Vampire's aren't stupid, especially not the older ones, and you both know that firsthand. I just don't like talking about them…" Demyx leaned his cheek against an open palm, stirring a finger from his free hand through his strawberries and milk. "And why not?" Sora seemed to sober again at his question, and the blonde suddenly regretted asking. He partially knew the reason why, but Sora had never told him straight out… It had been, more he'd found out through snooping, which he definitely had not done in the past week… Or so…

"Because… I just don't." Sora told him before standing. "I'll be upstairs, come get me after you figure out what you're doing with your lives today." Demyx was sorry to see him leave in such a confused and bitter state, but he turned to Reno and stuffed five strawberry slices in his mouth, chuckling breathily as the redhead mimicked him. The slices hadn't been small, and he could feel them taking up any empty space in his mouth, threatening to jump back out if he laughed. That snapped the tension that had been building in the room and they both couldn't hold it in then, swallowing the strawberries. Whatever was left was spat out across the table before both boys hastily stood and began retrieving them.

Demyx was the first to finish, and the first to saunter over to the job list of the day. Of course, in bolded letters were everyone's name, including Demyx's, but not including Reno's. Which sucked, because they usually did their jobs together. Demyx had to suck it up for today though; plus he was happy, his job was to find dinner for tonight, simple and fast. He'd get it done in no time. Every member had to get dinner more than once a week, as well as lunch and sometimes breakfast. Though for breakfast, most people just waited for Aerith to make them a buffet before scrambling off to do whatever duties had been asked of them.

"Aw, Dem, seems you've got something too do today. I'll be up with Sora, we'll wait for you." Demyx turned around from his inspection of the list, slightly surprised that Reno was standing so close to him that when he'd turned their noses had almost met. Reno took a few hasty steps back before grinning. "See ya." "You suck!" Demyx yelled after the giddy man as he raced towards the stairs, not wanting to be held back any longer. With a final sigh, Demyx turned and headed too the door with the glass windows that led outside.

As the door opened, he was greeted with a cold breeze. He stepped out a few paces and turned, closing the door quietly without locking it. He was standing on the patio, which ran all the way around the house, a pair of stairs on either side of the house. He chose the stairs that were right in front of him and began walking towards them, placing his hands in his pockets. Every night before bed, he would change into a new outfit, whichever outfit he was wearing the next day. It made sense, because any Shifter could be awoken at any time of the day or night in order to fight. It was a precaution, and he was suddenly glad he'd chosen jeans and a hoodie. The only thing he was missing was some form of music, which would have completed him, but he ignored the urge to go back inside and retrieve his iPod. He was headed for the forest, and as he walked down the shoreline, letting the water lap at his shoes, he sighed. It was peaceful out here, the forest lined like a wall beside him, a good hundred feet away. He had never been one too stare into its depths and enjoy the lurking shadows and stuff, but he didn't mind them either.

He turned suddenly from his walk and began in a new direction, still headed to the same destination though. He enjoyed hunting from the same place every time, and his place was the part of the forest that was thinnest, which was easy to separate from the rest. It stood out like a receding hairline in the midst of a bunch of longhaired and good-looking men. Who would've thought that was the best place to find what he needed.

As he reached the first jutting and lifeless looking tree, he glanced behind him, then around, and then sank too his hands and knees. As soon as he'd done so, he closed his eyes…

And the transformation began.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. A cliffhanger. I wanted to write more, but my sister told me to stop, said it would be better that way. Plus she told me over three thousand words was Okay for a first chapter, so I chose to accept and move onto chapter two.

Yay me.

~Lupae


	2. First Hunt

A/N: Onto Chapter Two. This one should help you out with the plot line some; it explains pretty much everything that is going on. You'll soon understand the meaning of Lesser and Full, and the rivalry between the Shifters and the Vampires. You'll also learn what exactly they are. Haha.

It's midnight right now, yet I feel slightly excited. I really like how my first chapter laid out, it went smoothly, and I'm hoping for a good second chapter. I have to say, because I didn't in chapter one, that there are some couplings in here, and I'm not sure who will be with who so far… I have a feeling there may be more then one undesired coupling, and more then one desired coupling, and they may all change around, so stick with it and read folks, there's more coming. ^^

* * *

Reno was sitting in a red chair, a comfy one, with brown wooden armrests and a red footrest beneath his outstretched feet. Sora was sprawled out much the same across from him a few feet away, a coffee table between them. The room they were sitting in was semi-circle shaped and had large windows circling everything except the back wall, which went in a straight line before connecting with them.

Reno gently rested his hands behind his head, unable to rock in this chair, but content all the same. He eyed Sora before cracking a small smile, looking away before the brunette saw him studying. "So Sora, why haven't you been busy lately? I know for a fact there's got to be something going on… What are you hiding?" His tone was playful, but he was serious at the same time. What could be going on that would keep Sora away from the border for so long? "You really want to know Reno?" Reno hadn't seen Sora's head move as he'd turned to look, had barely seen his lips move. It was more of a mumble; he was amazed he'd heard at all. Sora wasn't usually so subdued. He was so interested in the reason now… He nodded his head. "Yes, I do…"

Finally Sora turned to him, narrowing his eyes slightly, a very serious look too his face. "You have to promise me you wont tell anyone, not even Demyx. I don't know why I'm trusting you so much with this, perhaps because I've been wanting to tell someone for a while now, but you have to promise me Reno." Without hesitation, Reno saluted him, not thinking about the dire consequences of his actions that would befall him later. How in the name of hell was he going to keep a secret, especially from Demyx?

Sora must've taken the salute as a yes, because he folded his hands in his lap and sighed. "Well… I was off, doing a border check alone… I hadn't changed, I was still like this…" He brushed both hands down his clothing, portraying he hadn't yet transformed into his other form. "I could see someone hiding behind a tree. It was dark out, the sun had yet to rise, and I was foolish… I… he stepped out from behind the tree, and I… Well, I was instantly incapitated Reno… I'm not sure how, I've never succumbed to a vampire before in my life. Since becoming a Full Shifter anyways… I just…" He stopped short, pulling at his brunette spikes, eyes closed. Reno waited patiently, trying to understand what Sora was telling him. "It was love. And I knew it too, but I did nothing too stop him…" Reno was instantly intrigued even more. Any talk about love and stuff like that, and he wanted details. "Wait, you fell in love with a vampire? Whom, I'm guessing you've never met before?" Sora looked him squarely in the eye, hands falling too his armrests. "Don't make a joke out of it Reno. It's serious business. I'm not supposed to fall in love with one; I know their tricks, their powers. They are seducers, more beautiful than even you can know, and their full-growns are dangerous. They rarely show themselves, and when they do, they are hard to resist. I've spent so much of my life resisting them though; their powers usually don't work on me. But… It seems that this one, was different…" Reno raised an eyebrow. "Different? Who was it?" Sora waved a hand flippantly before resting his chin on his palm, gazing out the window into the sky. "Never mind, you wouldn't know him. You've probably never even seen him." Reno, silenced, nodded once before taking up a position much like Sora's. He knew that this vampire must have been pretty powerful to be able to seduce Sora, Sora wasn't the easiest guy to do that too, but he still wanted to know more about it.

"Sora, what did it look like?" Sora turned to him, looking surprised. His mouth was parted slightly, and he blinked a few too many times as though he couldn't believe Reno had just asked him that. "W-well… He was… He was h-handsome… Beautiful, with silver hair and he had faded green eyes… And he was muscular, and he had a perfect jaw line, and-" "And I'm guessing he was just perfect all around…" Sora nodded, blushing slightly, covering his cheek with a hand as he rested the elbow on the armrest. Reno smiled.

So, Vincent must've taken Sora off work because he knew that this silver-haired beauty was going to get in the way of Sora's duties… Reno couldn't help but think he was genius that he had figured it out all by himself.

"Well, I don't blame you. I've seen some of the Lesser 'Pires over there… I could almost feel myself drooling." He chuckled a little, but when Sora only gave him a weak smile, it faded slowly, ending with a small sigh. He looked down for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts, and then looked up at the brunette again. "Thanks for telling me, I had been wondering." Sora glanced out the window again; nodded once, let his eyes wander the many clouds. He'd always been intrigued by clouds, how were they so free to wander? Reno finally quieted down and left Sora in peace, leaning himself back in his chair before closing his eyes.

* * *

Demyx could feel himself changing, not only because he could see it, but because it hurt. Quite badly.

He grunted, lowering his head, his eyes still closed. He could feel his bones working themselves into place, and he nearly cried out. He'd been told that the more you worked on shape shifting, the less it began to hurt. He wondered how long that would take, because at the moment he was in a living hell.

His legs began to collapse, grew shorter, then his arms. His skull was working itself into a cat-like muzzle, teeth growing sharper, longer, his senses suddenly sharpening. As fur crept over his body like a rug, he realized it was suddenly way more muscular than it had been previously, he could feel the different tissues coiling, bending. His ears popped out of the top of his head, black tipped, able to swivel all the way backwards or lay flat against his cranium.

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his forehead, and he grimaced, feeling it flatten out slightly at the top, dome down, jutting out over his eyes just a little. It was a sharp pain, and he could feel it go all the way too the back of his neck, travel down his spine as it was molded onto his new perfectly sculpted backside. His shoulders stuck out like sharp triangles, but he could feel the power from the new bones, and he opened his eyes, his transformation nearly complete.

As he gingerly stepped forward with his newly formed and oversized paws, he stopped short. His tail stretched out behind him like an extra limb, giving him a sense of balance he didn't feel in his human form. It was black tipped like his ears, and then grew beige and sandy, like the rest of his body. The same color ran over his cheeks, and met white just below his pink nose, a distraction from the black lines that ran down the sides of his mouth.

His vision was suddenly amazing, and he could see details in the forest around him as clear as if he was looking through a magnifying glass. His hearing was triple what he could've heard as a human; he listened to insects moving beneath and around him, birds in many different trees, and the sounds of a waterfall nearby, all at the same time. His smell was so heightened, he thought he wouldn't be able to resist when the scent of a deer wafted under his nose, and he had to dig his claws into the ground too keep himself fixed. Not only were those senses keener, but his sense of touch was greater than ever before. He could practically feel the earth humming beneath his sensitive pads, and at last he flung himself onward with his hefty hind legs, jumping forward three feet in a single push. It startled him, even though this was his customary form and he was in it frequently, how incredible this cat really was. He wasn't sure how well he'd be able to hunt though, because just as the ecstasy of morphing began to settle down, he could feel the pain in his shoulder erupt all over again.

He growled, tilting his head to the side so he could see the extensive cut that ran from the base of his throat to his shoulder, not deep, but long. He'd recieved that in his last fight, a battle scar and a memory.

As a Shape Shifter, if he was harmed in his animal form, he could morph into his human form and he would be healed temporarily. But the next time he morphed back into his animal form, he would be injured again. It took the same amount of time to heal in his animal form as it would any real animal from the forest, which could range from an hour to a week. Luckily he was a fast healing cat, and he reckoned he'd heal in the next day or so.

* * *

It was time to get on with business. He was required to hunt for fourteen people, if they were all there tonight, and he was wounded.

"Great.." He thought to himself with a quick eye roll, his tail whipping from side to side in quirky movements. He tuned himself into the forest, remembered his lessons from the other day, think like prey would. Where would he be if he was prey? Somewhere near water probably. He decided to start near the waterfall.

It was a short run to his destination, his back and forelegs propelling him faster than his human legs ever could, and he sat down at the small pool that formed at the bottom and gazed into it. It seemed bottomless and dark, which meant he was fascinated by it from the moment he looked in. What was waiting at the bottom? Had anyone drowned here before? What did it sound like inside? Did the waterfall create music, or was it silent and peaceful?

He bowed his head and stuck out his long pink tongue, curling it back up into his mouth as water pooled into the small dip in its center. After a good drink, he sat up straight again and let his ears pivot, his eyes wander. It wasn't long before he decided to move on, there was obviously nothing here.

As he roamed the forest he continued to stay on guard, his eyes dancing in whichever direction caught his interest, whether it was from a sound or a movement. And soon enough, his patience paid off.

He crouched down low, ears up now, aware that he wasn't quite blended into his surroundings as well as he could've been. The munching sound that came from in front of him grew louder with every step he took, the brown fur that rippled every time an insect bothered it grew more detailed. With one last step he was only a few feet away from the deer, and he opened his mouth, letting its aroma settle on his delicate scent glands. This was definitely the deer from before, and he was about to catch it.

In a single pounce he was on its back, all four paws pressing into its sides, claws extended to keep himself upright. Before he had even caught his balance he dipped his head and sunk his teeth into the startled animals neck, bloodying his fangs as soon as they entered its skin. Then they were off and he was being carried away by the smaller animal, unable to control their direction. He didn't let go of his prey, not even as it stumbled once. The second time it lost its footing though, Demyx was thrown forward, teeth unhinging from the gored neck, preparing to land on all fours as he flew through the air. But as he landed, his shoulder suddenly gave in and his leg collapsed in on itself, sending his face careening into the ground. As he picked himself up and turned around, gasping and growling, he began back in the direction he'd come from, limping now. He wasn't in a hurry, the animal was slowly dying, on its side now, taking its last slow breaths. He'd have to make at least one more kill to feed his Clan, but he suddenly doubted he had the strength. His shoulder was agonizing; he couldn't contemplate how such a small injury could procure these dire consequences.

At least he was standing over his quarry, and he sighed and sat down, running his thick tongue over the raw gash. It hurt, but was soothing at the same time, his saliva having healing properties. It was like a salve, and soon was down to its persistent throbbing again, no less, no more. He couldn't do anything about this deer except take it in his jaws and drag it. It was about three-quarters his size, but weighed much less and he easily jumped into a tree with it and laid it on its side over a branch. As he jumped back down and turned to give it one last glance, he licked his lips. He would have to hurry if he was to escape the tenderness in his body, so hurry he did.

It took him another hour to find prey of any sort and kill it, and as he began dragging it back to the deer site he was slightly shocked to find the body still hanging off the branch. He was shocked only because it was unusual that no one else would try and steal it, whether it was animal or vampire. As he dragged the newly killed marmot carcass over to the base of the tree and retrieved the deer's body, he morphed back into his human self again, cringing as the last of the pain deflated. He rolled his shoulders and head, then sighed and stooped down, putting a dead animal over either arm. He could easily carry them back to the beach house, it was only a ten minute walk from his position in the forest at the moment, and he was feeling fine now. No afflictions to tend too, no annoying and persistent temptations to chase after. It was with a smug smile that he made his way back home, and it was with a smug smile that he threw the animals onto the kitchen island with.

* * *

"Reno!" He called as he leaned against the island, winded from the short walk there. He had only been asked to hunt, not to prepare or cook, so he believed if he wasn't going to get caught up in it, he'd better escape from the kitchen as fast as he could.

The answering shout came from upstairs, and Demyx suddenly remembered what Sora had said before he'd left. They'd be upstairs waiting. The blonde hurried over to the stairs and swiftly spiraled up them, a hand on his knee as he reached the top, bent over slightly from lack of breath. He walked over to a free chair, there were four in all, one on each side of the table, and threw himself into it, rejoicing the comfort.

"So, what'd you get this time?" Reno asked, happy to have lively company again. Demyx smiled and crossed his arms superiorly. "A deer and a marmot." Reno nodded his head, replicating the facial gesture that sat upon his friend's face. "A deer and a marmot? Wow, that's better than last time. You're getting pretty good." Demyx eyed Sora, who was turning from looking out the window, seeming a bit ruffled. The brunette's eyes connected with blue before shifting away lazily, in a forced fashion. Demyx raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on Sora's lack of conversation, merely noted it.

"Yah, I guess. I just wish Aerith was back, my shoulder's still cut up." Sora's eyes raised again, this time in a more worried fashion, but this time when Demyx shot him a smile he held the blonde's gaze before speaking. "From which fight?" Sora asked, looking slightly confused. Demyx tapped his bottom lip a few times. "Uh, the one against Ventus…" Suddenly there was a muffled laugh from the opposite side of Sora and Demyx whipped his head in Reno's direction, narrowing his eyes.

"It's not funny Reno…" But he knew that wasn't true. Ventus had the same form as Demyx, which made him Demyx's automatic mentor. It would have been the other way around if Demyx had been older than Ventus, but the situation didn't go like that and he was now the apprentice of a bigger and stronger cougar, just his luck.

"Yes it is Demyx, and you know that." Reno replied, still chuckling. "It was such a sad fight, even I could have done better than that… One swipe and you were down…" Demyx rolled his eyes and propped his elbow up on the armrest, resting his cheek on his hand. He glanced up at Sora, whose eyes seemed to be shimmering. No doubt from withheld laughter, it was to be expected.

"And then you tried to defend yourself, but Ventus barely flicked you and you were down again. He barely touched you…" Reno seemed to be cracking himself up, and Demyx closed his eyes. "Did you want me to come up here so you could make yourself laugh, or was there another reason." "There was another reason." Sora quickly interjected before Reno could reply snidely again, and Demyx missed the glare Sora shot the red-head just before he opened his eyes. "Could you please remind the hyena what that reason was Sora?" Demyx asked pleasantly, sniffing once, examining the cuticles on the hand closest to his face. Reno quieted down a bit before Sora spoke. "We are figuring out what we are doing with our lives today." Demyx nodded as he looked up at his friend, tilting his chin up in a haughty fashion. "Any ideas?" He finally asked, crossing his arms again, sure that Reno wasn't about to make fun of his attempt at a fight with Ventus again anytime soon. "Well, we could always go stir up some trouble." Reno's answer. "Or we could not stir up some trouble and go train or something…" Sora's answer, much more relevant than Reno's had been. Demyx laughed. "I'd like to train actually, sounds like a plan." "Yah, what a plan…" Reno huffed as they all stood and stretched before descending the stairs and entering the kitchen.

* * *

A/N: Well, this chapter was supposed to be done on Sunday night, but I got kicked off and then went camping, so seeing as I got back this morning, it's finally done. Yay. I would really like reviews from everyone who reads this, please. Tell me what I'm doing wrong, doing right, what you like, what you don't like. It's all good stuff for me, so write me something.

Also, if you have any suggestions for future plots or anything, feel free to run them by me. I'm open to anything, because I'm not sure how many chapters this story is going to have, and I'm willing to make room for people's ideas.

~Lupae


	3. TwoFaced Lives

A/N: I'm sorry this is taking me so long to write and update… I've been busy lately and my mom doesn't want me on the computer too much.

Urgh.

I don't think I managed to get everything I wanted into the second chapter… It was rather short as well… I need to get better at writing longer chapters… Hmm.

Yay! It's time to bring in the vampires! *Shivers in Terror* Haha.

* * *

"Oh ~Roxas." Axel's lilting voice carried itself down the long, ornate hallway, into the ears of the blonde hidden around the bend.

"Roxy…"

The red-head had been searching for his favorite blonde for a few minutes now, it seemed Roxas was either playing hide and seek with him, or just wasn't in the building at all. Little did he know, Roxas was in the building, but he wasn't playing hide and seek. He was in search of Larxene, and for a good reason too. Though he wouldn't tell Axel what it was, else the redhead would take things into his own hands, and that wouldn't end up very well for the poor female blonde.

Finally Axel gave up and turned around, surveying the room he was standing in. It was the living room of the three-story house, or at least one of the many living rooms, and it had a few elegant chairs and tables draped around the room in no organized fashion, and he chose the closest chair and sat down in it, crossing his legs. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back, smiling. The living room was deserted, save a bird locked in a cage on the far side of the room. There were no electronic devices or lights, but amazingly enough, windows.

"Where could my Roxy be?…" The redhead murmured to himself as he tapped the wooden armchair with his fingers, listening to them create a dull, throbbing rhythm against it. He really had nothing else planned for that day, and what other way could be better than finding Roxas and spending it with him.

It wasn't long before his long silence was broken, and a blonde-haired man came rushing in, eyebrows slightly rising in annoyance. "Axel, it seems there is another problem." Axel didn't look up at the poker-loving vampire, merely raised two fingers from the armchair, as if saluting him. "And…?" The redhead replied, letting his gaze linger close to Luxord's face, but not quite holding his gaze. "Well, unless you want the love of your life ripped too shreds, I suppose you should go, how do I put this… Save him?"

That was all he needed to hear. He was out of his seat the moment Luxord had said "ripped too shreds." As he swept past the blonde he tapped his shoulder, ordering him to follow the redhead, and together they began fast walking through the many long hallways that led to various rooms and places in the building.

"Where?" Axel finally asked after they'd gotten a few paces out the door. "The Ballroom…" Luxord replied, and although Axel couldn't see him, he was sure the blonde had winced. That only made him more worried. What was going on? He picked up his pace, not really caring if Luxord was keeping up any more, and began running. Suddenly, there was a loud cry, and Axel raced around the corner, pushing past two swinging doors, and stopped short.

"Bitch." He hissed as icily as he could, before flinging himself in the two fighting nobodies directions.

* * *

Larxene had Roxas in a headlock and her eyes were narrowed. He was clutching her arms tightly, as though he couldn't breathe, and as Axel neared them the male blonde growled and flung her over his shoulders, hissing. It seemed neither had noticed him yet and Roxas squared off, hands out in front of him as though he was playing basketball.

"Larxene, give it up. You know that is not the way." Roxas said quietly, calmed as suddenly as he'd been angry. The female blonde was spun around and lunging at him a second later. That was when Axel intervened, jumping forward as she crashed into his side. He had to smile as she was stopped, his own body barely moving as she bounced off him. It must have been like hitting a brick wall because she looked dazed and was ogling at the two of them.

"Give what up?" Axel asked as he brushed some dirt off his shoulder, glancing down at it to make sure it was gone. As he glanced back up, both blonde's were avoiding his gaze and seemed to be snarling at each other, Roxas' snarl slightly less wild.

"I said, give what up?" Finally Roxas looked up at him. Just as he was about to form an answer, Larxene tackled him, arms wrapping around his waist, bringing him to the ground easily.

"I'll rip your throat out!" She growled as he fought to keep her away from him, either of his hands holding her wrists to the side, her face quite near his, her upper lip curled viciously. Axel growled and leaned down, picking up the blonde easily before he flung her to the side. She landed in a crouch, one leg swung out to the side, both hands on the ground to keep her balance. Her already narrowed eyes flickered from him to Roxas, and as she began to stand, her hands went to her hips.

"Larxene, what is it you're supposed to be giving up?" Though his usual playful tone was still there, his eyes held all seriousness in their depths and he held out a hand for Roxas, standing up straight as the blonde took it and picked himself up. He was amazed to find Larxene glaring at Roxas again instead of looking at him, and he looked down at his partner, tilting his head slightly. The blue eyes that grazed his own green ones were filled with something close to sympathy or pity, and Axel couldn't help but feel completely out of the loop.

"Tell him Roxas." Larxene finally sneered, beginning to walk towards them again. "And I swear I'll do something **you'll** regret." Axel matched her glare as she walked past him, and the crazed giggle that met his ears as she left the ballroom made him cringe slightly. How could she be so heartless sometimes? Actually, he didn't want to have that answered, he didn't need to know about her past life, he really could care less.

* * *

"Roxy… Come on, I know you can tell me…" In fact, he was more or less insinuating that the blonde **had** to tell him, but for that second he could play sly.

Roxas tilted his head away from the redhead and crossed his arms, staring at something on the floor that probably, wasn't actually there. It was a little while before he answered quietly, shuffling his feet as he did so. "Larxene… Ugh, how to say this… Larxene is having, "relations," with a Shifter."

For some reason, that didn't really surprise Axel. What surprised him more was the fact that he hadn't noticed. Larxene wasn't really one to stick to a man forever like Axel had chosen to do with Roxas; she played the field a lot and was often found at parties hanging off the shoulder of any man available. So, now he wanted to know more.

"Uh-huh… A Shifter, eh? Please tell me its not Vincent, that could go down real badly for us…" Axel crossed his arms like Roxas had done, gazing down at his shorter lover, who still refused to look him straight in the eye, as though he was hiding more. Axel cleared his throat when the blonde still refused to answer, and leaned down close to Roxas' ear.

"Must I threaten you, Roxas?" He asked gently, his breath warm against Roxas' ear, tickling the inside of it. He watched the blonde hold back a shiver by tensing slightly, and when no further reaction came, Axel uncrossed his arms and put a finger on the blonde's shoulder, his other hand by his side.

"Roxy… Which Shifter? I really wanna know…" He let his voice slide into a "begging" tone, still on the playful side, losing most of its seriousness. He began walking around the blonde, his finger sliding with his movements, until he was on the other side of the blonde. The only thing Roxas did to acknowledge him was to dare a glance at the redhead's finger as it passed to his other shoulder where he could see it. He did not move his head, just his eyes. Then he looked up finally into Axel's eyes and sighed. Axel waited for words, the sigh must have meant Roxas was finally giving in, but something about the way Roxas' chin slowly lifted a mere centimeter and the way his eyes were suddenly half-lidded made him think differently. Oh how there were times Roxas was adorable, submissive, and just plain on cute. Then there were times he was a fighter, relentless, and quite sexy. This was one of those times.

"Roxas, come on, I don't have time for this." Axel wasn't blinded by the fact that Roxas was playing coy. He brought his finger up to Roxas' cheek, letting it slide down to his mouth, his eyes following the fingertip as it brushed over the blonde's lips gently and then dropped to his chin. He tilted the blonde's face up; gazing into the fierce blue eyes with an equal ferocity, ready to go to whatever lengths were needed to get this answer. He was, the leader of this Clan. He wasn't about to let a lower member keep a secret from him, he would get it one way or another. Sure said lower member was and had been his lover on and off since they had met, but that didn't mean Axel could just shirk his responsibilities… If something went seriously wrong, he'd have to take a session with high court, and god he really didn't want to have to do that.

Roxas didn't uncross his arms, even as his chin was tilted up. The only evidence he was even listening anymore was the smirk that was gradually growing on his lips and the over-excessive eyelash batting. Axel could feel his resolve melting at those eyelashes, and soon enough he wouldn't be able too keep up this serious conversation; if, in fact, it was ever serious to begin with.

"Must I haul this information out of you Roxas? Can you not give it up easily?" Axel couldn't help but think that the two years Roxas had been a Vampire had given him a sense of immortality. Even if he could bleed, even if it was possible too die, Roxas seemed so sure that Axel would never hurt him.

Axel had to admit, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to spill one drop of Roxas' blood.

"I can give up other things easily." Axel almost hadn't heard him speak, had barely seen the blonde's lips move, and soon Axel's smirk matched Roxas'. If that was how Roxas wanted to play, he wasn't about to object. His finger slowly moved back up to Roxas' lips, where he gently pulled down the lower one, opening the blonde's mouth slightly. He eyed the fangs inside, his own chin tilted up now, his own lips parting in anticipation.

"If you wish it to be so." Was all Axel's reply consisted of before he leaned down, one hand in a fist behind his back, the other cupping Roxas' cheek as their lips met. It was brief, and as the blonde pulled back there was a tingle throughout Axel's body that hadn't been there before the interaction.

"Do not think you can blackmail this information out of me, dear Axel, I have more self-will than that." Roxas' tenacity obliterated Axel's determination for the moment, and he was simply speechless for a few seconds before a clever reply could be thought of.

"It's not blackmail Roxas, simply an eye for an eye. I give you what you want, and you give me what I want. Is that really so bad?" Though Axel's hand was gentle against Roxas' skin, he curled up his top lip slightly, giving Roxas a good glimpse of his left fang. The boy's eyes flashed at this silent threat and he cleared his throat, much like Axel had done earlier, and flicked his gaze up to the blazing green eyes above him.

"Axel, you do not scare me. If you haven't forgotten, I am strong enough to fight my way out of any situation, granted I am up to caliber." Axel chuckled, clucking his tongue at the semi-frightened blonde, letting his hand drop from Roxas' face. "Oh, but this isn't about fighting, now is it Roxas? It never was…" Axel moved in then, a hand on either of Roxas' shoulder, his nose nuzzling the side of the boys throat seconds before his tongue did some nuzzling of its own. Soft, raspy licks were planted as he let the boy contemplate his meaning. He opened his mouth then, letting his tongue roam over one of his fangs, and then grazed the fang along the flesh beneath it, creating a soft hum in Roxas' throat, something close to a purr. As the redhead pulled back, gazing into one eye and then the other, Roxas finally put a hand on either of Axel's shoulders and pushed him backwards a few steps, Axel's hands slipping from his counterpart. The blonde's hands went on either hip and he leaned forward slightly, rolling his eyes once.

"Wow, all of that to get an easy answer, dear Axel. It was Xigbar, the pirate-looking one of the Shifters. You should know him quite well, he was almost made your dinner only a few nights ago." Something about the way Roxas said that Axel should know him "quite well," made him think there was more to this than just Larxene and Xigbar being together. Yes, Axel had been seeing a lot of that brute lately, well… More likely hearing about him, and he suddenly realized what he'd been missing. Xigbar had been the one who'd been lurking on the edge of Axel's territory; Xigbar had been the one lone figure Axel had seen leaving the castle late at night.

Xigbar had been the only one lately who'd gone down to visit the slaves, other than those who fed them of course, and that wasn't right at all, seeing as he wasn't a full-blooded Vampire. He wasn't even a vampire at all; he was a mere Shifter, not even a Full Shifter at that. Axel's eyes narrowed and he suddenly brushed past Roxas, leaving the boy wondering if he had some sort of bi-polar problem the way he could go from one mood to the next so easily, and began heading towards the second floor lounge.

"Roxy, come along if you feel the need. I have important business too attend to." Then he was round the corner in the opposite direction.

* * *

Reno was the first too enter the forest, running like a madman, laughing. Demyx followed suit, threatening too kill him, and then came Sora at a more leisurely pace, rolling his eyes at the two crazed men. It was like they were still children, and Sora **really** didn't feel like babysitting right now.

"Reno, you dick, slow down and face me like a man!" There was nothing other than more laughter as a reply to the dirty blonde, who was chasing the redhead with a vengeance.

"I'm not even running that fast!" Reno protested, holding his stomach as he continued stumbling through the forest, his eyes darting around for a place to hide. Demyx wasn't far behind, and he was suddenly smiling. Arms bent at the elbows, he held his hands out in front of him, as though he was preparing to defend himself. Then suddenly he closed his eyes, crouched down, and jumped forward, those arms outstretched still. As soon as he jumped, his transformation began. He could feel his skin growing fur, a tingling feeling as it covered his entire body. As his bones aligned in probably the quickest amount of time he'd ever dared to do, he cried out loudly, but all that was sounded was a loud growl that ripped through him from deep in his chest. His oversized paws hit Reno's back as he began to lose altitude, and the redhead went down face first, hands out to protect himself. The only trouble was, Reno was trying to steady himself by hand standing and flipping over backwards, but Demyx's momentum kept them going and their combined weight collapsed his hands, throwing him roughly onto his back, Demyx skidding to a halt a few feet away after landing on all fours. As the cougar watched the redhead groan and roll over, one hand on the small of his back, he noticed that Sora had caught up to them and he sat up tall, pretending to be innocent. As soon as Sora gazed at Reno, his glare shot back up to Demyx, and the cougar looked away defiantly, eyes half-lidded, yawning once to show his disinterest. Of course Sora immediately disapproved, but he was to tense, never had any fun anymore. Now that little chase there, that had been fun, loads of it. And they did that kind of stuff all the time; seriously, Sora needed to learn how to calm down.

* * *

"Reno… Are you alright?" Demyx whipped his head around at Sora's voice, his eyes finding Reno standing form. "Ya." Came the wounded reply before Reno coughed into his free hand, his other hand still rubbing his back. Demyx couldn't help but want to jump on him again, if only the redhead wasn't so fragile in his human form… That didn't help.

Then the redhead whipped around, and this time he didn't look injured. He looked playful, sure, but not injured.

"You are so about to die, punk."

Before Demyx could scrabble away, Reno was running at him, shifting as he ran, something Demyx was unable to do yet. His back legs changed first, propelling him forward, and just as his back began to shorten his front legs came pounding down on earth, paws already finished, last to go was the face. That didn't take long either, and the red and earth brown colored fur flew towards the sandy colored cat, not taking time to let the cat escape. There was a throaty growl from the newly created wolf, and an equally throaty snarl from the cougar as they collided, Demyx on his back legs, Reno head butting the blonde in the stomach. As he did so, Demyx collapsed on top of him, crushing him into the ground before he sprung away a few feet, leaving Reno to pick himself up and spin around. There was no time to rest though because it was apparent Reno meant what he said, to some degree. This training would be intense, each would be tired after from what Demyx could tell, and there would be wounds. Thankfully, Aerith would be back by dinnertime, so they didn't have long to wait before she could heal them.

In their animal forms they could not use human speech; it was impossible to do so. The most Demyx could do to exclaim his feelings was to use body signals and vocal signals, some that Reno would not understand, seeing as they were of different species. As the wolf charged at him again, Demyx ran at him as well. Just before they collided though, the cougar threw himself onto his side, not caring how hard he hit the dirt. His back hit Reno's front paws and he watched as they buckled and the redhead was thrown over him, rolling once. Demyx quickly stood up, sniffing the air for blood. After smelling none, he pounced on Reno, unsuspecting of the kick to the face he received seconds before he was able to land on Reno's body. It was unsuccessful to say the least, and the cougar was sent sprawling head over heels backwards, his neck bending at odd angles that would have seriously injured any regular human. Before he could stand this time, Reno was on him, his eyes ablaze, his lips curled back. The red wolf's jaws slavered around the cougar's neck, and all Demyx could do was curl his back paws back and kick up, right into Reno's stomach, much like he'd been head butted previously. Reno's mouth opened in a loud whimper as he was sent backwards, and this time as he stood there was an obvious loss of breath and a stumble in his step, though his eyes were just as intense as before. Demyx wasn't about to let up either, even if some of Reno's teeth had managed to puncture his throat skin; that little bit of pain wasn't about to stop him. He wasn't **that** much of a pansy.

As their fight continued on, Sora sat down under a tree to watch. He was usually one to commend how training went, but they seemed to be doing fine, honing in on certain skills. He picked up a blade of grass and began shredding it slowly.

Finally, it was Demyx who messed up. His front paw collapsed, just sort of gave up, and it made him stumble to the side, trying to keep his balance. As he pressed it to the ground gingerly, he was happy to feel no pain; but when he looked up again, Reno was coming in for the kill and this time the cougar was unprepared. Though Reno's muzzle was bleeding from the time Demyx had gotten a hold of it with his sharp fangs, and although Reno was limping on his back leg, he was still able to flip Demyx onto his back and pin him, snarling as loudly as he could, making sure his prey didn't get away. Demyx did nothing more than struggle loosely and growl, mewing as he tried to get away. When he realized it was no use and if he persisted more Reno probably would end up trying to kill him, he began to transform back into his human form. When his flesh was just flesh again and his legs and arms were of the proper size, he pushed against Reno's chest with his hands, amazed at the strength of his friend's creature when he was unable to move him. Reno had stopped snarling, and was now wearing a wolfish grin, his eyes studying Demyx lazily as he yawned, letting slobber drip down onto Demyx's face from his open mouth. As the blonde cried out and pushed Reno's muzzle away from his own maw, Reno stepped off and transformed back as well, standing up and offering his friend a hand.

"Gross…" Demyx whined as he continued wiping the spit of his cheek, taking his friends hand so he could stand properly as well. There was no trace of blood or wounds on his friend's body, and none on Demyx's either. Though, they both knew how badly their animal forms needed to be treated after today's training, it had gone awry from the beginning, with neither of their mentor's there to teach them, and their animal forms had taken a beating from it. Demyx didn't regret it though, he'd really gotten to see not only his own but also Reno's wild side.

"It's not as gross as your face." Reno pointed out with a serious face, eyebrows raised slightly. Demyx shot him a "whatever" type glare and turned to Sora, who had also stood and was wiping off the seat of his pants.

"Good job guys, that was creative. I really liked how Demyx used the trees to his advantage, and how Reno used his back legs. I'm sure Ventus and Vincent would be proud." Then he turned and began walking, not even waiting for the pair. Demyx immediately looked at Reno, eyebrows furrowed, and jabbed his thumb in Sora's direction.

"What's wrong with him? Seriously, kill joy much." Reno looked uncertain, but he forced a smile. "Yah seriously… kill joy." Demyx had turned back and was following after Sora already, and didn't see Reno's glance in the opposite direction, back into the forest. The redhead was thinking about Vampires and seduction, and a shiver rippled through his body before he followed after the two, albeit a little frightened.

* * *

A/N: Well… Seems I finally got Chapter Three up! *Yay me!

Just, don't hate me if my grammar is off, because I know it is. I didn't spend a lot of time on my grammar here; I was having a hard enough time getting all of the story done before my mom kicks me off. Review please; I enjoy reading those thingies and getting your ideas.

~Lupae


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